A Shocking Lack of Socialist/Leftist Literature

Started by Shiranu, September 04, 2021, 06:06:44 PM

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Shiranu

Deciding to look for Socialist/Leftist/Libertarian literature to begin researching a book, I drove to our nearest college town and to the main bookstore. Upon reaching the "Politics" section, I looked at the displayed books; Sean Hannity's, "Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty Over Liberalism" , Donald Trump Jr.'s, "Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us", and an assorted other mix of Conservative works.

After looking through nearly 400 book s, with at least 150 of them with titles like, "How the Left is Destroying Society" or, "Communism, the Ruling Power of the American Elite"  I was finally able to find one single, heavily used work by Chomsky, one of his lesser known books on the influence of American Imperialism in Latin America.

]Out of 400 political books, only 1 had any variation from mainstream conservative works; No Marx, no Engels, no Trotsky, no Lenin, no Tressell and just one Chomsky book that someone maybe had to use for a class back in the 80s.

I decided to check the public library, and again... nothing. I checked the library where I live... nothing, other than one audio book of Chomsky. I know that at the bookstore I worked at for 3 years on campus that I don't recall ever seeing or selling a socialist book either.

I know people don't really read anymore, but there is a disturbing lack of not just leftist literature on the shelves but also a lack of anything other than far-right figureheads and grifters screaming about how the Left is out to get them. Perhaps that is just an anomaly, but my guess is that is the norm anywhere you go.


And yet apparently "Leftists" control all the media, control the campuses, so I have to ask... are they just really shitty at writing books or being professors, cause I've yet to see one.
"A little science distances you from God, but a lot of science brings you nearer to Him." - Louis Pasteur

Mike Cl

I am not surprised.  In my central valley, CA town, lives a Barnes and Noble bookstore.  Borders was bigger, but it has been gone for years now.  Mind you, we have a University of CA a few miles from us.  But in town, bookstores are almost nonexistent; The Second Time Around is the next biggest one.  Anyway, while I was heavily into reading about and researching christian beginnings, I asked a clerk of BN if they carried any books on atheists or atheism.  I was told the store does not carry them and they charge extra for special orders of those types of books.  The only reason I go there now is to treat myself to a glass of Moca Java and read (for free) their copy of Skeptic mag.  Luckily Abe Books or Amazon via the computer can get me any book I want. 
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

Hydra009

Quote from: Shiranu on September 04, 2021, 06:06:44 PMAnd yet apparently "Leftists" control all the media, control the campuses, so I have to ask... are they just really shitty at writing books or being professors, cause I've yet to see one.
I mean, they do exist, but a lot of them are just criticisms of Republican presidents like Bush or Trump or broad criticisms of Republicanism as a whole like The Republican War On Science.  Aside from a couple biographies, notably Obama's, there's not a whole lot of positive books, let alone theory books.

The whole bookshelf seems to be books on how the Right is horrible written by the Left and books on how the Left is full of Corrupt Satanic Communists Totalitarians from the Right.  There's a noticeable imbalance in favor of the Right, though.  I might have to take back my charge that they're often illiterate and replace it with a charge that they rarely read books written for adults.

SGOS

Back in the days of Rush Limbaugh's great popularity, I wondered why the left did not offer a counterpoint.  While the left remained silent, a whole bunch of right wing hate radio hosts emerged following Limbaugh's lead.  Finally a broadcast (or maybe a podcast) emerged hosted by Al Franken and Janeane Garofalo from someplace on the east coast, but it never gained much traction.  The left's attempts to be heard through TV also met limited success, at least when compared to FOX, but did not attract the same highly motivated following.

After wondering about this, I decided the left does not respond as well to the strident tones used by the right.  I decided the counterpoint was NPR, painted as a festering hot bed of communist propaganda by the right.  I think the left is much more circumspect, and more prone to seek out reality than meme, and especially more prone to thoughtful consideration than hype.  A counterpoint to right wing bluster is in fact... REALITY.

Steven Colbert made that wonderful joke that will always be in my memory, "Reality does have a liberal bias."  So when the left attempts to pound it's following with fallacious opinion and hate, it it does not find itself in such fertile ground.


Shiranu

Quote from: Hydra009 on September 04, 2021, 11:19:51 PM
I mean, they do exist, but a lot of them are just criticisms of Republican presidents like Bush or Trump or broad criticisms of Republicanism as a whole like The Republican War On Science.  Aside from a couple biographies, notably Obama's, there's not a whole lot of positive books, let alone theory books.

The whole bookshelf seems to be books on how the Right is horrible written by the Left and books on how the Left is full of Corrupt Satanic Communists Totalitarians from the Right.  There's a noticeable imbalance in favor of the Right, though.  I might have to take back my charge that they're often illiterate and replace it with a charge that they rarely read books written for adults.

This is where my problem is; you do not have to be a leftist to have criticism of the GOP; to even a moderate right-winger, as our opposition party is, that is perfectly doable and even appears partisan.

When I say leftist, I mean it in the literal sense; people who fall on the left-wing side of the spectrum; people who believe in the worker's ownership of commerce and, ideally, from a libertarian perspective. Neither of those seem to exist; the closest I can find is right-wing libertarianism which is just... fucking retarded bullshit, to put it politely.

I appreciate Obama as a person, infact as an individual I actually think he is one of the better presidents we have had, but he is firmly in the middle ground of right-wing policy and thought. Even "far-left" politicians like Bernie and AOC are far closer to middle than left.

QuoteThe whole bookshelf seems to be books on how the Right is horrible written by the Left...

That just doesn't seem to be my experience; I don't mean this hyperbolically, from rough guesstimation calculated by book-per-shelf, I have been able to find 4-5 legitimately Left-wing books out of at least 700-800 central-right/far-right book on my bookstore & library shelfs.

If that is different elsewhere I 100% would love to know, but that was just my experience.
"A little science distances you from God, but a lot of science brings you nearer to Him." - Louis Pasteur

Shiranu

Quote from: Cassia on September 05, 2021, 05:05:06 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiEmfXECD9k


I was literally 20 seconds into this when two transformers blew out down the street and cut out my internet for about 5 hours :I. Will check it out tomorrow though.
"A little science distances you from God, but a lot of science brings you nearer to Him." - Louis Pasteur